Cabristo Lake near Red River NM elevation 10,100
That sound
The one that soothes my soul
The one that makes me want to sit for hours
And cast my eyes upon his beauty.
The soft whisper of the brook beside me, washing, flowing, calming my anxious heart.
God has purpose in everything, even noise.
He could have created silent streams
And birds to sound with sameness
And frogs to be mute.
But as I am still, I will my racing thoughts to focus on the orchestra of nature.
Pure, refreshing in its simplicity
Restorative in its song.
We are more apt to realize the blessing of sight, the visions of beauty he sets before us.
But is he sorrowful that we are too busy to notice the sounds he sings?
Each creation woven with a melody unique to itself— a love song for us.
Dr. Alan Logan, author of Your Brain On Nature, says it best, “We live in a distracted world.”
Our age of technology is great in some ways but can rob us of our core needs if we let it. Cell phones let us be accessible 24-7, jerking us out of whatever present situation we are in and computers are filled with endless distractions.
Being immersed in nature helps us to be fully in the present. When I listen to the songbird, I’m not thinking of the problems to solve on the latest bathroom remodel or the latest deadlines to meet. Or feeling regret over cross words I’ve spoken.
When we focus on the past it can lead to depression. When we focus on the future, it leads to worry and anxiety.
A hundreds of years ago our relatives were much more dependent on the outdoors than we are today. We have warm houses and air-conditioned workplaces, and cars to zip us from place to place, and brightly lit grocery stores, and malls full of clothing …
We tend to make the outdoors something we rush out of. It’s too hot, it’s too cold, so we escape into our climate controlled world.
But the very thing we are running away from is a key to restoration of our psyche and our soul.
Dr Logan says “Stepping out of your normal situation for as little as 20 minutes in nature dramatically elevates you mental outlook, and lowers our perceptions of stress.”
He says, “No matter what the stress is, nature can undo it.”
I close my eyes, and listen
And I am lost in the symphony of God.
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Psalms 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
-Think of places where you can retreat to listen to God speak through nature and restore your soul.
– Plan ahead to meet him outdoors this week.